How to Draw Realistic Eyes: My Process and Essential Tips

6/7/2018

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Do you find your eye drawings look slightly "off" and have trouble pinpointing areas of improvement? Have you wondered what you can do to make your drawings of facial elements look a bit more realistic? Would you like to take your portrait drawings a step further and give them more expression and life?

A lot of artists love drawing eyes (myself included), and this makes total sense! I really believe eyes ARE the windows to the soul. They have a HUGE role in portraiture because they have the ability of expressing SO much!

In this blog post, I will be sharing the method I go through when drawing realistic eyes, as well as the key components of eyes that should always be included in order to make them look believable. To finish up, I will also be sharing a few essential tips to have in mind whenever attempting to draw ANYTHING realistically.

Drawing portraits, or any individual facial element, is difficult and requires practice. We are used to seeing faces day-in-and-day-out, which makes us HIGHLY susceptive to noticing mistakes in a portrait drawing or painting. Even if a non-artist wasn't able to decipher where the error is located specifically, he/she will most likely know that something isn't quite right.

This makes it essential for us, as artists, to study facial features individually and understand their actual structure and proportions, as well as their appropriate location within the head space. This knowledge, together with an effective rendering of values, is what will make a portrait (or facial elements) look believable.

I highly recommend checking out this past blog post in which I explain why studying facial features individually will help you improve your portraits and what I personally do to study them:
Improve Your Portrait Artwork By Doing This One Thing

Also, learn about HOW and WHEN it's okay to use other people's photographs as art references in this blog post:
When and How to Use Other People's Photographs to Create Art

Realistic eye drawings by Erika Lancaster. Sketchbook studies.

How to Draw Realistic Eyes

You will need:

-Pencils (HB, 2B, 6-8B)
-Eraser stick or kneaded eraser
-Regular rubber lead eraser
-Sharpener
-Blending stump
-Drawing paper (sketchbook or Bristol board)
*Optional: Ruler

Drawing Process:

1. Start with a great, high-quality photo reference

When attempting to draw ANYTHING realistically, it's extremely important to use a great photographic reference (unless you're drawing from life but we will not be getting into this at the moment as this is more of a beginner-oriented tutorial).

Why? Working with a reference allows us to develop our observational skills, which is ABSOLUTELY KEY. PLUS, a reference informs us what the subject actually looks like and reminds us of details that we can easily forget if we didn't have it. These details can make or break our drawings/paintings!

It's important to draw our subject how it actually looks like and not how we THINK it looks like.

What makes a high-quality photograph? For the most part, you want to look for pictures that demonstrate good lighting and have a high resolution that allows you to zoom in to clearly see details as needed.

Find a list of my favorite free, quality image sites in my blog post titled:
My Favorite Free Image Sites and Two Examples of References With Finished Illustrations

Reference picture from Pixabay.com. Click on picture to go to original source.

Reference picture cut at close-up of eyes and desaturated for studying purposes.

2. Create your initial pencil sketch (outlines)

You want to start out ANY drawing by creating a light sketch that integrates all necessary elements and demonstrates effective proportion and placement of each of these elements in regards to each other. For this initial sketch, use your harder-lead pencil (H-HB).

Because achieving adequate proportion and location of individual facial elements is very important when drawing faces, I like creating guidelines for myself in the form of small ticks before actually starting my drawing. I use a ruler or another tool to measure out sizes and distances as needed, as well as to keep things in alignment.

After having studied facial proportions, I know that there should be a certain symmetry to eyes and that the width of one eye should be able to fit between the two.

Learn about facial proportions and adequate locations of facial elements in this blog post:
How to Draw a Face (for Beginners)

Though there are many different eye shapes out there, there are certain key parts of eyes that are always at least partially visible and, therefore, you should make sure to integrate them into your drawing. Though there isn't a set sequence that you HAVE to draw these individual elements in, DO make sure to leave your eyelashes until the end!

Always include the following:
a) The shape that represents the visible part of the eyeball
b) The pupil (darkest/blackest part in of the eye)
c) The iris (the part of the eye that contains color) *This part is almost NEVER visible in its entirety, unless you want your subject to look very surprised! It usually has darker edges and flecks of lighter color within it.
d) At least some reflection within the pupil and iris *These reflections give life to the eye and create the effect of eyes being moist.
e) The tear-duct in the inner corner of the eye
f) The tear-line along the bottom eyelid
g) The crease above the upper eyelid
h) The eyebrow
i) The eyelashes (which I highly recommend drawing until the very end)

*Notice how each of these are present in your selected picture before actually drawing them out.

Establishing a few initial guidelines will help us ensure that our eyes will have effective proportion and location.

Drawing initial eye sketch (a).

Drawing initial eye sketch (b).

Drawing initial eye sketch (c).

3. Start developing values and textures GRADUALLY

This is the part of the process that is going to take the longest, but TAKE YOUR TIME and observe your reference picture CONSTANTLY. Before starting, pinpoint which areas of your picture are the lightest, and which are the darkest (this will depend on where the light source is located).

If you're having trouble with this, I recommend two things:
a) choose a better picture with more clear lights/shadows, or
b) desaturate your picture in Photoshop or another photo-editing software so you can see it in grayscale as opposed to color

Using your softer-lead pencils (starting with 2B and progressing to 6B-8B as needed), take your time developing a wide range of values. Lay down your pencil lead without pressing too hard on your paper and use your blending stump to move your graphite around as needed, trying your best not to cover up the areas of your drawing that should be left light.

You should end up with parts that look almost entirely white, parts that look very dark, and an ample range of mid-tones in between. Make sure that you create GRADUAL transitions between your values and STAY AWAY from outlines and harsh lines!

Many beginners tend to believe that the sclera (the white part of the eyeball) should be left completely white, but it's not! There is shadow within the sclera created by the top eyelid and, usually, at the corners (which helps create the spherical shape of the eyeball). Make sure to place your values as you see them in your reference picture.

When drawing the hair texture of the eyebrows, create a variety in values and draw them incrementally.

Work back and forth as much as you need to. And resist the urge to add in your eyelashes!

Developing values (a).

Developing values (b).

Developing values (c).

Developing values (d).

4. Establish a bit of form around the eyes to bring them together

Our eyes are spherical forms that are set in deep sockets in our skulls. They also have a large protruding form in between them (the nose) and a brow bone above them. All of these things create interesting shadows around our eyes.

Take your drawing a bit further and bring your eyes together by adding in the shadows you see around them. I like using my blending stump for this, rubbing it lightly in the areas where I need to create my shadows (by this point it already has plenty of pencil lead in it).

Creating form around the eyes (a).

Creating form around the eyes (b).

Creating form around the eyes (c).

5. Draw the eyelashes

Natural eyelashes aren't perfect. Some of them are shorter than others, they are set at irregular distances from each other, AND they go off in different directions depending on the angle and the direction the eye is looking at.

Because the eye is a spherical structure, eyelashes located the inner-corner of the eye (close to the tear duct) tend to curl toward the nose, those in the middle area of the eye curl straight forward, and those in the outer corner of the eye curl away from the face. Eyelashes located in the inner-corner of the eye and those along the lower eyelid are shorter than the rest.

Be very careful not to oversaturate your eyelashes and create a variety amongst them in terms of value and thickness. Keep the aforementioned characteristics in mind and remember that natural things are imperfect. When drawing males, I've found that the less lashes I can get away with, the better!

Drawing eyelashes (a).

Drawing eyelashes (b).

And we're done!

Realistic eye pencil drawing by Erika Lancaster.

Key tips to have in mind for realistic drawings:

1. Take your time choosing (or producing) a great reference picture.
2. Realize that value is more important than color and train yourself to discern highlights, mid-tones and shadows in your reference images.
3. Get used to observing your references CONSTANTLY throughout the drawing process.
4. Draw what you see and not what you THINK things look like.
5. Steer clear of outlines and stark shapes (embrace subtleties).
6. Develop a wide variety in values and create gradual transitions between them.

Become a Patreon community member to get access to:

-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!

*Click below to learn more!

I hope you found this post helpful! Which facial feature do you find most difficult to draw? Is it the eyes, nose, lips, ears....? Let me know in the comments section below! :)

Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Cross-hatching, Scribbling

Why Sketchbooks are Essential Tools for Artists

5 Comments

How to Draw a Room Using 1-Point Perspective

5/10/2018

2 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Does the word 'perspective' scare you off from creating more complex artworks? Do you feel like being too precise and using grids takes away from the fun of creating art? Would you love to be able to create drawings or paintings that effectively transmit a sense of depth and space, but don't know where to start?

The term 'perspective' basically refers to our point of view when we're in a specific, fixed location. Depending on where you're sitting or standing right now, you're going to have a different perspective of your surroundings when compared to a person sitting on the opposite side of the room, or even from someone sitting/standing next to you at a different height or slightly different angle!

To create believable three-dimensionality and depth on flat surfaces like paper or canvas, artists make use of grids and/or lines that assist them in creating optical illusions. Though perspective may be more evident in artworks featuring indoor or outdoor scenery, it's actually present in all types of art, whether it's a portrait, a still-life, or anything in between. Make no mistake, perspective is a fundamental topic to understand in order to achieve believable and compositionally-sound drawings or paintings.

In today's post (and YouTube video!), we're focusing on 1-Point Perspective, which is the perfect place to start for the beginner artist. I'll be walking you through an initial exercise using simple three-dimensional geometric shapes that will allow you a proper warm-up, and then we'll be applying our knowledge to draw the inside of a room!

*A quick caveat before moving on: If you feel you don't have enough practice drawing simple, three-dimensional geometric shapes, you may want to practice drawing these a few times before continuing with the first drawing exercise.

Feel free to grab and print these two PDF's with steps for drawing cubes, rectangular prisms, etc.

3D-Geometric shapes A. Click to download printable PDF.

3D-Geometric shapes B. Click to download printable PDF.

A while back I wrote a very thorough guide to both One-Point and Two-Point Perspectives, which includes several more free downloadable worksheets/templates. In that post, I explain a lot of key terms related to perspective that you should definitely know about and also provide numerous examples of perspective in both famous artworks and modern photography.

Check it out here:
Perspective for Beginners: How to Use 1 and 2 Point Perspectives to Create Great Artwork

The 1-Point Perspective Grid

The 1-Point Perspective grid

One, Two and Three-Point Perspectives are all categorized as ¨Lineal Perspectives¨. This means that they rely on the use of straight lines to depict three-dimensional space and the forms within it. In other words, to apply these techniques we will need to prepare for our drawings by creating grids which will be erased later on.

What these grids do, is allow us to create the illusion that objects get smaller and smaller as they get further away from us, while objects closer to us will appear larger. These grids also allow us to establish our vanishing point(s), which represents the furthest point from us in the distance. The 1-Point Perspective grid contains one vanishing point, while the 2-Point Perspective grid contains two, and so on.

The 1-Point Perspective grid, is very useful when we're trying to draw a subject front-on. Surfaces of objects facing the viewer are drawn in their flat, undistorted shapes. However, sides of shapes that are not facing the viewer are created by diagonal lines that converge at our single vanishing point in the distance.

The following are included in a One-Point Perspective grid:

1. Horizon Line
This is the line that separates sky from land (in landscapes) or sky from water (in seascapes). It is also referred to as the "eye-level" of the viewer. The Horizon Line doesn't necessarily have to be right in the middle of your picture. In fact, it is a lot better, compositionally speaking, if it is somewhere below or even above the halfway point of your drawing area. Objects above the horizon line are drawn as if you're looking up at them, while objects below it are drawn as if you're looking down at them.

2. Vanishing Point
The Vanishing Point is placed somewhere on the Horizon Line and it represents the farthest point in your picture. When creating a grid, this point is were the Orthogonal Lines all meet.

3. Orthogonal Lines
Orthogonal Lines (also known as Convergence or Vanishing Lines) are key when drawing perspective. They are diagonal and recede back into the vanishing point. A perspective grid can have many Orthogonal Lines or very few of them, depending on the complexity of the picture. The more elements in the picture, the more lines you will probably have to include in your grid.

4. Transversal Lines
These are completely horizontal or vertical lines that are either parallel or perpendicular to the horizon line. They form rectangles or right angles along the grid and are especially useful when drawing interiors (which we'll be doing today!).

5. Vantage Point
The Vantage Point refers to the specific place from which a scene is viewed. This point can actually be very high (referred to as bird's-eye) or very low (referred to as worm's-eye). It is crucial to decide where the Vantage Point is going to be in the very beginning because this will affect the placement and size of all elements within the composition.

Let's get started!

Supplies You'll Need:
-1 pencil with harder lead (4H, 2H or H)
-1 pencil with softer lead (B, 2B or 4B)
-Ruler
-Sharpener
-Soft eraser
-A few sheets of regular printing paper
*Optional: Black drawing pen

Drawing Exercise #1: 3D Shapes Using the 1-Point Perspective Grid

3-Dimensional shapes drawn on a 1-Point Perspective grid.

Steps:

1. Using a ruler and your hard-lead pencil, draw a simple 1-Point Perspective grid. Pick a point within your drawing space (it doesn't necessarily have to be right smack in the center of it). With your ruler, draw lines intersecting at this point. Draw enough lines to fill the majority of your drawing space, but keep them as light as possible!

2. Using a softer-lead pencil, start drawing flat, two dimensional squares or rectangles anywhere within your grid. Do your best to keep your lines as straight as possible and help yourself with your ruler if needed. These flat shapes will be the 'planes' or sides of objects facing you.

3. Pin-point the innermost corners of your shapes (the ones closest to the vanishing point) and, using a ruler, draw lines from these corners to your vanishing point. Make sure your ruler is perfectly aligned with the corners of your shapes and your vanishing point. *Notice that some shapes are going to have two planes (or sides) showing and others will have three, depending on their location within your grid.

4. Close these shapes anywhere you'd like using horizontal or vertical lines. Make sure to protect those right angles and keep your lines as parallel as possible!

5. Extra step: Shade some of your shape's sides, just make sure to keep it consistent throughout (if you start shading the innermost planes of your shapes, keep the front planes unshaded).

Read my blog post titled Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Cross-Hatching, Scribbling and Others to learn some fast shading methods!

Drawing Exercise #2: Drawing a Room Using the 1-Point Perspective Grid

Room interior drawing showing One-Point Perspective.

Steps:

1. Using a ruler and your hard-lead pencil, draw a flat rectangle in good size somewhere near the center of your drawing space (this will represent the back wall of your room). This rectangle doesn't necessarily have to be perfectly centered by any means, but make sure that you're leaving enough space around it so you have enough area to add things into your room!
*Don't make this rectangle to small or narrow, as it will make your room look more like a long hallway. And don't make your rectangle to big, as this will make it seem like your standing too close to your back wall!

2. Create a very light cross in the center of your rectangle/back wall by aligning your ruler to opposite corners of your rectangle (top-left to bottom-right and top-right to bottom-left). Make a dot right where these diagonal lines intersect. This will represent your vanishing point.

3. Next, you're drawing the four corners of your room! To do this, align your ruler with your vanishing point and each of the corners of your back wall to draw four lines outward. Fill up the rest of the area on your floor, ceiling and walls with light lines like we did in the first exercise. Avoid filling in your back wall with lines, as you won't be needing them there.

4. Switch to your softer-lead pencil and re-trace the corners of your room to make them a bit darker. This will allow you to better visualize your floor, walls and ceiling.

5. Start adding in windows, doors, rugs or whatever you'd like to include in your room using your diagonal grid lines. Start by adding in flat decorative items (posters, doors, windows) and once you've got that down, begin experimenting with using 3-dimensional shapes as foundations for more complex pieces of furniture! Remember, rectangular prisms and cubes can basically be used to start off drawings of tables, shelves, beds and even sofas!
*Watch the embedded video and pause as many times as you need to to see how I do it.

Vincent Van Gogh's famous Bedroom in Arles is an excellent example of a famous artwork showing the interior of a room. Where would you say the Vanishing Point in this work is located?

Bedroom in Arles painting by Vincent Van Gogh (1888) showing 1-Point Perspective.

Notice how the Vanishing Point in this room is off-center! In many cases, placing this point off-center actually makes a work more interesting!

Bedroom in Arles painting by Vincent Van Gogh (1888) with 1-Point Perspective grid.

Even though creating perspective may sound complicated and like an intricate process when we're just starting out, I PROMISE you that it's not as hard as it seems and it will come naturally to you after some practice! Not to mention, these types of drawings usually lead to very satisfying results and provide us with much needed visualization practice that will improve our artistic skills tremendously!

Take your time with this, have fun, and move on to creating 2-Point Perspective drawings once you've grasped the concept! :)

Become a Patreon community member to get access to:

-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!

*Click below to learn more!

What's your favorite masterpiece or famous artwork that demonstrates 1-Point Perspective? I'd LOVE to know in the comments section below!

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Beginner's Guide to Shading Techniques Hatching, Cross-hatching, Scribbling

How to Draw from Direct Observation and Why It's Important

2 Comments

How to Draw Faces at a 3/4's Angle - My 4 Step Process

1/16/2018

11 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Are you getting a bit tired of always drawing stiff, flat faces looking forward? Do you enjoy portraiture and would like to learn how to draw faces in different angles? Do you frequently find something is a bit off when you finish your portrait drawings?

In this blog post I'll explain why it's important to have a basic understanding of the underlying structure of the face (the skull) in order to draw more believable portraits, and will be reviewing basic facial proportions/locations of individual facial elements within the head shape.

Then, I will move on to explain how to draw a face at a 3/4's angle, which is one of the most-used angles in both painting and photography portraiture.

I will share my own 4-step method for drawing portraits and also a video time-lapse demonstrating how I do my quick face sketches. This blog post includes several free downloadable PDF's that you can use for practicing, so make sure to check those out at the end!

I'm going to start off by saying that drawing portraits is hard! The main reason being that what we see most everyday are the faces of those around us. This means that most people, artists or not, will be able to notice if something is off when viewing a portrait, even if at first they can't pinpoint exactly what it is.

With a portrait drawing being off, I don't mean small differences in eye sizes or eyebrow shape. Human faces have natural imperfections and aren't 100% symmetric (most of the time). What I'm referring to is shape, proportion and location of facial elements within the head shape.

Most of the time something looks off, it's due to an ineffective placement or proportion of any (or all) face elements.

This is why it is very important to understand and keep these things in mind when attempting to draw any type of portrait (unless you are intentionally going for an unrealistic style).

Though I don't particularly go for high levels of realism with my work, I do like starting with a concrete foundation in order for it to have a believable aspect to it.

*This post is intended for those who have already had some amount of practice drawing faces at a forward-facing angle. Still need a bit more practice with drawing faces in a forward view? Visit my blog post titled How to Draw a Face (for Beginners). There, I offer free downloadable PDFs explaining to do draw a basic head shape as well as individual facial elements.

Understanding the Underlying Structure of the Face

When an artist is trying to get better at drawing any part of the human anatomy, it is important to devote some time to studying its underlying structure.

Understanding what is underneath our skin will allow us to create more believable form and three-dimensionality in our artwork, which is key when trying to achieve any level of realism. The structure beneath the face is....you guessed it! The skull!

Sorry to get a little morbid here, but let's take a moment to analyze the following images:

Skull picture 1

Skull picture 2

Photos courtesy of Pixabay. Click on the image to go back to its original source.

The human skull is made up of two separate parts, the cranium and the mandible. Notice the natural holes, and diverse nooks and crannies all over its structure. It's important to note that the cranium is not a perfect sphere!

And though artists usually start their portraits off by drawing a circle or an oval (depending on the perspective/angle of the head), this initial shape usually gets refined along the drawing process.

Observe the human skull and take note of its main characteristics:

-Large eye sockets (our eyes are placed deep within our heads)
-The mandible is connected to the cranium and is the only part of the skull that can move (aside from our eyeballs)
-Our teeth and the bones onto which they are attached actually jut out a bit, creating a curved effect where our lips usually fall
-Our brow bones and cheekbones create very visible bumps
-Our temples (sides of our heads) sink inwards

Watercolor skull study

I've made studies of skulls like this one to the left, and have found them extremely helpful. They've allowed me to gain information that I'm later able to apply in my drawings or paintings without giving it much thought at all!

I really recommend making time to create a few sketches of skulls or even paintings like I have!

As previously mentioned, most artists start off their portraits by creating simple shapes much like the ones below. These shapes and lines allow them to visualize where the facial elements will be placed.

Quick head angle visualization

Understanding Basic Facial Proportions

While there is an incredibly vast array of face shapes, as well as shapes and sizes of individual facial elements (eyes, nose, lips, ears), there will always be general guidelines to follow in terms of their placement within the head shape.

By this point, you've probably already seen something like this before:

Basic facial proportions

By seeing the diagram above, we can conclude the following:

-For drawing purposes, the head can be divided into three parts
-Drawing vertical and horizontal lines down/across the head shape will allow us effective placement of facial elements
-Effective proportion and placement of facial elements calls for some degree of measurement
-The hair line is BELOW and not ON or ABOVE the head shape
-The width of approximately five eyes should fit along the main horizontal line
-We can use the inner corner of the eyes to define where the curves of the nostrils should end
-The lower part of the face (from end of the nose to tip of the chin) can also be divided into three parts

So how does this information translate into a head at a 3/4's angle?

Simple map of a forward-facing head vs. head at 3/4's angle

Simple map of a forward-facing head compared to a head at 3/4's angle.

In a sense, we are distorting facial proportions when drawing a face at an angle. We are no longer looking to create symmetry, as we usually do when drawing someone facing forward.

We are now dealing with certain levels of foreshortening, depending on the angle of the head and what perspective we're seeing it in.

When viewing a face at a 3/4's angle, we are able to see much more of one side of the face than the other. We are able to see one eye completely, but perhaps only part of the other one.

Usually the eye on the side opposite to us is at least a tiny bit smaller! We are able to clearly see one half of the person's nose and mouth. All this means we have to be able to draw believable facial elements that are skewed.

Here are some (very) basic ways to draw facial elements in both forward-facing and 3/4's angles:

How to draw simple facial elements. Forward vs. 3/4's angle.

How to Draw a Face in a 3/4's Angle in 4 Steps

Supplies

-Pencils (I recommend HB-4B)
-Eraser
-Quality reference pictures (you can use your computer or print them out)
-Paper or sketchbook
*Optional: Tracing paper
*If you wish to use the same images I have, download them for free by clicking on the portraits in the instructions below.
*You can also download and print the free PDF's I've attached at the end if you'd like to use the face maps I've created. Use a piece of tracing paper to transfer the face map onto the paper you will be drawing on and move on to the next step!

Canson Spiral-bound Sketchbook 11 x 14 inches 100 sheets $9.72

Royal & Langnickel Essentials Sketching Art Set - 21 Pieces $4.31

Studio 71 Tracing Paper - 9 x 12 inches $2.70

Process

1. Find a quality picture to use as reference

I thoroughly recommend using reference photos when starting to draw portraits. Even if you're not intending to create a full-on realistic representation of the person in the image, having a reference will give you a solid foundation to work from.

It's always awesome to take your own pictures to use as references, so never hesitate to take a photo of your own face to study from!

Really observe your reference image and compare the facial elements with each other in terms of size and shape. Notice the distance between them and where they rest on the head structure.

Compare one side of the person's face with the other and pinpoint differences. Pay attention to the silhouette created by the brow bone and cheekbone of the side opposite to us.

Analyze the shapes of the eyes, the nose, mouth and ears, as well as those created by the shadows within the picture.

For the purpose of this tutorial I will be using the following two images found at Pexels and Unsplash. If you wish to use them, simply click on the photos to get to their original sources and download from there.

Pexels, Unsplash and Pixabay are great options if you need free quality images to use as references for your artwork. To find a list of my favorite free image sites visit my blog post My Favorite Free Image Sites & Two Examples of References with Finished Illustrations.

Female portrait at 3/4's angle.

Male portrait at 3/4's angle.

2. Create your initial face 'map'

Female portrait at 3/4's head map. Free PDF at the end!

Male portrait at 3/4's head map. Free PDF at the end!

Using the information you already know about facial proportions and locations of facial elements, create a 'map' using vertical and horizontal lines. Usually, these lines are going to be slightly curved, as opposed to the straight lines created when drawing a map for a forward-facing portrait.

It'll depend on whether the person is looking slightly upwards or downwards.

If you take a moment to observe the image of the woman I used, you'll notice that her chin is pointed slightly inwards. This was probably a deliberate choice made by the photographer, as it emphasizes her eyes and makes them seem bigger.

Even though the photograph is cut and we can't see the top of her head entirely, there is a bit of foreshortening happening for sure! We are able to see more of the top of her head when compared to the picture of the man, who has more of a leveled head.

*If this is your first time drawing a face at an angle, I highly recommend printing out your reference photo (preferably letter-sized) and using a piece of tracing paper to create your face map, then transferring it to the paper you'll be drawing on.

3. Start placing individual facial elements

Once your face ``map´´ is set, start drawing your eyes, nose and mouth LIGHTLY (this will allow you to erase mistakes). I usually start with the eyes because they fall in the center of the face and allow me to visualize the other facial elements.

Look at your reference photo CONSTANTLY and try to replicate the shapes you see. Drawing eyes, noses and lips on heads at different angles is a lot harder than drawing them on a head that is facing straight forward. This is why practicing individual face elements is so important!

As previously stated, the elements on one side of the face are going to look different from the ones on the other side. We are no longer trying to create perfect symmetry! However, they DO have to look like they are all part of the same face.

Draw lightly and don't get discouraged if you need to erase a lot! The following image will help you get an idea of how to draw eyes, noses, lips and eyebrows at a 3/4's angle. At this point, focus on achieving adequate shape, size and proportion. Don't even think about starting with your shading yet!

*I love using a desk easel when drawing so that my surface angle is more similar to the angle of the image I'm looking at. When I draw faces on flat, horizontal surfaces, I often find that my drawings end up distorted! If you're having this problem, I can't recommend a desk easel enough.

Drawing on my desk easel.

4. Once your initial sketch seems on point, move on to creating values

Take a final look at your initial outline sketch and make sure that the location and proportion of facial elements looks correct. Don't worry about your drawing not looking like the person in the picture, just focus on making things look believable.

Afterwards, decide how you will be creating your tonal range throughout your drawing. To learn about crosshatching and other ways to create shadows/values in your drawings, visit my blog post titled Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Cross-Hatching, Scribbling and Others.

Having a picture to work from provides you with a solid reference of where to place your darks, lights and mid-tones which will later lead to believable form and three-dimensionality.

Pay close attention to your reference image! If you're having trouble discerning lights from darks, I recommend opening the image in a photo-editing software and desaturating it so that you're working only with grayscale.

Personally, I enjoy the sketchy/unfinished look, but this final step is where your personal style comes in! I love to create values using hatching and crosshatching, and give a lot more emphasis to the face than I do to the hair or anything else, which is were I want to draw the viewer's attention towards.

Take your drawings as far as you'd like and remember to have fun with it.

Female portrait sketch at 3/4's angle by Erika Lancaster.

Male portrait sketch at 3/4's angle by Erika Lancaster.

Become a Patreon community member to get access to:

-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
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-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
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*Click below to learn more!

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Watercolor Bird Process and Affordable Supplies

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When and How to Use Other People's Photographs to Create Art

12/12/2017

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How and When to Use Other People's Photos to Create Art

Do you find yourself CONSTANTLY using other people's photographs as references when creating art? Have other people's comments about this being wrong ever made you feel guilty or less of an artist? Are you constantly making sure to do whatever you can with your time and resources to move your artistic progress forward or do you frequently go for what's most convenient?

Sorry to burst your bubble people, but artists use references to create artwork. ALL TYPES OF REFERENCES! And there's nothing wrong with that.

This post is going to be the first in a four-part series about the use of visual references when creating figurative artwork (notice abstract art is not mentioned here though many abstract artists also use either photographic or real-life references they have set up). As most of you artists already know, this is quite a touchy and even controversial topic that a lot of people prefer not getting into.

However, it's important that we do. I see a lot of confusion and guilt on part of beginner artists who have been led to believe that using references is wrong. There is also a lot of ignorance on part of non-artists who think that an artist SIMPLY MUST be able to create art without the use of references.

In this series, I will be discussing and exploring the following reference-using methods with you:

1. Using Other People's Photographs to Create Art (when it's okay to use other people's photos and how to do it in a way that will ensure your artistic progress)

2. Creating Artwork Based on Your Own Photography (click here to learn fast and easy ways to produce your own reference pictures)

3. Why Drawing from Direct Observation is Essential and 10 Tips to Improve (click here to learn why this drawing/painting method is so important in order to progress artistically)

4. Using Collage as an Effective Method to Create Unique and Expressive Art (click here to find out why collage is so powerful and how you can use it to your advantage)

These posts will shed some light on HOW and WHEN to use each of these methods effectively. I believe there should be space for all of them within an artistic journey and I personally use them all. Every blog post will include a time-lapse video in which I will be showing you how I complete an artwork using each method.

Being able to create engaging artwork using a reference photograph (or whatever type of reference for that matter) is not easy. It requires a deep understanding of Art Fundamentals, as well as a lot of previous practice with artistic media. Not to mention the ability to recreate, by hand, what is being taken in through the eyes. It requires serious observational skills, analysis, patience, and whole lot of effort.

I get comments myself from adults that believe that, since I'm an artist, I can probably draw anything from knowledge/imagination. I probably can. However, I won't end up with the aesthetic I'm generally going for with my art. If I don't have a visual reference to work from as I am creating my drawings or paintings, I'll end up with something too cartoony for my taste. Having a reference ensures that I won't forget important characteristics or details that I would like to include.

Go to my blog post titled My Favorite Free Image Sites & Two Examples of References with Finished Illustrations to find a list of my favorite quality, free-image sites.

There ARE artists out there who have the ability to create amazingly realistic drawings from imagination. This is usually because they have practiced and studied specific subjects for months or even years, which has allowed them to form a visual library in their minds and even the development of muscle memory to recreate shape and line easily.

All this said, I always stay away from tracing and creating exact replicas of photographs. This is ok when an artist is just starting out (or if its intentionally what you're going for), but as soon as basic observation/drawing skills are attained, I always encourage drawing freehand and using references as something to loosely base drawings or paintings off of.

Some of my favorite artists in history used reference images:

Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell. After the Prom. Oil on canvas. 1957.

Alphose Mucha

Alphonse Mucha. Emerald. Colour lithograph. 1900.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Couple at Restaurant. Oil and gouache on cardboard. 1891.

Notice how all of these artworks are intentionally modified, added to and even distorted in order to communicate ideas more effectively. The final artwork, in my opinion, is far more visually appealing and expressive than the original reference image. This is what we should strive for when using photos as references, whether they are your own or not.

To finish up this (very long) introduction, I want to tell beginner artists out there to not let ANYBODY make you feel guilty or like less of an artist for using references! Just make sure you are keeping any studies that could get you in trouble to yourself and that you have permission to use photographs when you are thinking of sharing your work (especially online). Just be smart about it and keep challenging yourself to improve!

Let's get into the first part of the series!

Using Other People's Photographs to Create Art

Using other people's photographs as references for drawings or paintings is frowned upon by many people for obvious reasons. The main idea here is that, for an artwork to be truly your own, everything has to have originated from yourself as the creator, from idea, to planning, to execution. If you didn't build it from the ground up, then it isn't totally yours and it's not completely original. As with everything else in life, there are many points of view pertaining to this. Whether its right or not could be debated until the cows come home.

What's important for you to know is that there are ALL different types of artists out there. There are some who only paint from life, taking days to set up their shadow boxes in their studios. There are some who enjoy working in plein air, leaving their houses and setting up in parks or in the street to paint scenery as people walk around them. Others create collages using magazine and newspaper cutouts or ready-made supplies. The list goes on and on, and there will ALWAYS be opinions about what is right or wrong or better.

It is up to YOU and only YOU to discover what types of media and techniques you'll use to get your message out into the world. Everyone has particular tastes and enjoys different artistic methods. I prefer to keep an open mind about it and don't define anything as right or wrong.

As long as you are being respectful towards others and are doing everything in your power to create original artwork that comes from your own mind and heart, it's all good.

Read my blog post titled How to Effectively Use Other Artists' Work as Inspiration and a Great Method to Start Developing Your Own Artistic Style.

All this said, this method is going to bring you less artistic growth when compared to any of the others because you are limiting yourself to using a photograph that already exists, so I suggest making time to create your own reference library to have at hand AND drawing/painting from life whenever possible. If you're ONLY using other people's photos because it's easier, then you are only going to grow so far.

Photograph by Ken Reid. Click on photo to go back to original source at Unsplash.com

Watercolor painting by Erika Lancaster. Watch the video to see full watercolor process!

If you enjoyed this video, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel! :) I publish a new video every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials, and encouragement for aspiring artists.

Make sure you're smart when using other people's photographs!

Follow the recommendations below to ensure you are always being safe and moving forward artistically.

Tips to effectively and safely use other people's photographs to create art.

What are your thoughts regarding the use of references? Do you ever use reference pictures that you haven't taken yourself to create artwork? I'd love to know! Please leave your comment in the comments section below. :)

What I Learned from Inktober and Sketch Time lapses

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10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting with Watercolors

12/4/2017

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10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting with Watercolors

It's hard for me to believe, but it's already been a year since I made the decision to get serious about advancing my drawing/painting skills and made my first investment in (actual) watercolor painting supplies. By then, I had already tried acrylics and oils, but I wanted to keep experiencing different mediums in order to see which I liked best and which complemented my art style most (this is an ongoing process btw).

I became increasingly interested in watercolor illustration and was very inspired by artists I found online. I made it my objective to paint and learn as much as possible in the afternoons after getting home from work and whenever else I could.

Though I still have a long way to go before I reach the skill level I want to be at, I have managed to advance my skills and want to share what I have learned with you. Make sure to check out the free downloadable PDF at the end of the post that you can use for practicing!

I created what I call a "watercolor painting map" for you using a reference picture of an apple. Remember that practice is what's going to make you move forward and, above all, you need to be patient with yourself. Read my blog post titled Self-Doubt as an Artist: How to Stay Confident and Keep Going.

Here are the ten things that I wish somebody had explained to me before starting with watercolors! I really believe that if you understand these ten things and consciously apply them throughout your work, you will be able to improve your watercolor painting skills a lot faster AND not waste as much money and supplies!

Watch the video, read the blog post, or better yet, do both! : )

1. Buy paper intended for watercolors

It can be extremely frustrating to feel like you're constantly fighting against your supplies when your trying to create artwork! Make things easier for yourself by actually buying paper intended for watercolors. If you're serious about improving, DO NOT attempt to paint on regular paper or cardboard.

Mixed-media sketchbooks may or may not work depending on the amount of paint and/or water you use, so I don't recommend them either until you gain a bit more of experience and control over this medium.

I suggest doing some quick research in order to find a brand of watercolor paper that is relatively good quality and price for you to start off with. With experience, you'll start seeing whether you prefer thicker, thinner, cold press, hot press, etc. As my watercolor journey has progressed, I've discovered that I love thicker varieties (preferably 140 lbs. and up) because I can be pretty heavy handed with my paints and I'm pretty rough with my paintbrushes and paper!

I also like that I don't have to necessarily tape down my paper every single time I feel like painting.

Canson and Strathmore are brands that offer quality watercolor paper at accessible prices.

Watercolor paper brands I am currently working with.

2. Plan colors before starting to paint

I know this may feel like a pain, especially when you just want to get to painting. However, I ruined SO many good drawings because I was too anxious to get started and ignored the planning aspect that goes behind creating an artwork using watercolors.

Remember that truly effective artworks show harmony, unity and coherence. For this to happen, the artist MUST give thought to how the elements included within a composition (no matter how simple or complex) relate with and complement each other. This applies directly to the colors you use.

There's a lot of value to starting with a limited color palette. I suggest you plan and limit not only the colors you'll be using in your painting, but also decide how you'll be creating your darkest mixtures and shadows. You can use mixtures of complementary colors, analogous colors, earth tones, etc. Planning and keeping colors in control will help ensure a more professional outcome.

Watercolor illustration of cherries showing colors used.

Watercolor cherry illustration with colors used.

3. Keep pencil sketches as light as possible

Because watercolor layers are transparent and thin, any hard pencil marks will most likely be visible through the paint at the end. I recommend using your pencil lightly when you are creating your initial sketch/map and erase at least partially afterward, if possible.

Remove any extra graphite you may have accidentally smudged on your paper while drawing using a soft and clean eraser. This will ensure a cleaner outcome at the end.

Something I have found useful is creating my initial sketch with a water-soluble gray colored pencil! That way, these lines will disappear completely as I paint. I highly recommend this method if your drawing and observation skills are already good (some lines that you weren't intending to erase could be erased).

Read more about the watercolor paper, pencils, erasers and other useful tools in my My Favorite Art Supplies (So Far) blog post! I include Amazon links to the products I've bought in case you want to give them a try.

Initial pencil sketch of a car to use for painting with watercolors.

Vintage Dodge Challenger pencil sketch on watercolor paper.

4. Protect the whites

This was SO hard for me in the beginning and is STILL something I have to make a conscious effort to do! As previously mentioned, watercolor painting definitely requires some plan work. When creating your initial sketch, make sure to map out/indicate where the lightest and darkest areas of your painting will be. You can see how I did this in the PDF included at the end of this post.

Once your sketch/map is complete, make sure you do your ABSOLUTE best to protect the lightest areas throughout your painting process.

I have three specific tips related to this:

a) Pick a good reference photo to work from. Artists have to develop an eye for picking out photographs that will lead to good paintings. If you'd like to read more about the characteristics that make a good reference photo and how I take my own in my studio, read my blog post titled How to Take Great Reference Photos to Use in Art and Why They Are Important. A good reference photo demonstrates a balance of darks, midtones and lights.

b) Work large. If you're creating a painting that will have a good amount of detail in it, make it easier for yourself by working larger. Water gives watercolors a mind of their own and you have to learn to work WITH it and not AGAINST it. Give the paint space to do its thing! With practice, you'll naturally start learning how much water should be used in any given point and you'll be able to gain control. Later on, you can move on to smaller paintings or illustrations.

c) Use masking fluid. A lot of people abstain from using masking fluid because it adds a couple of extra steps to the process and can be time consuming. However, depending on the complexity and subject you are painting, this may be the best way to go. Masking fluid ensures that the whites will be protected throughout the painting process and you don't have to be as careful when you're painting!

Watercolor food illustration showing white highlights.

Watercolor egg and veggie subway sandwich in process showing whites.

5. When starting to apply paint, start as light and transparent as possible

As previously mentioned, I personally tend to be quite heavy handed and have to make a conscious effort to control the amount of pigment in my paint mixtures, especially as I start a painting. ALWAYS begin with a transparent paint mixture that contains WAY more water than pigment.

Work your way up to the darker values slowly by adding layer upon layer and allowing appropriate drying times in between. Also, make sure to place the darkest values (paint mixtures with large amounts of pigment in them) ONLY in the very darkest areas you see in your reference image.

Be careful and selective about where you place your darkest values or you risk creating a flat painting! It's these varieties in values, as well as their proper placement, that will give your painting dimension and depth.

Food watercolor illustration mid-process.

Watercolor panini in beginning stages.

6. Allow layers to dry

Once again, approach watercolor painting with patience! I honestly think that's half the battle. When I first started, I didn't understand the need to allow each layer to dry before applying the next (unless you're painting specific areas in which you want to create wet-on-wet effects). I went WAY beyond over-working, messing up my colors and my paper, over and over again!

It took me a bit to learn that the effects I was looking for are created with subsequent washes and by reactivating colors that are already dry.

If you're impatient like I am, I recommend working on compositions in which you can jump around from one side to the other or simply working on two separate pieces at a time, switching between them to allow them to dry whenever needed. The more realistic you want to get with your paintings, the more layers it will require.

One final recommendation, but a very important one, is to resist the urge to keep painting when you make a mistake. Let it dry and, most likely, you'll be able to fix it later or at least make it less noticeable when adding more layers. Do not stress out when you make a mistake.

7. Don't use more than three colors in the same mixture (unless you know what you're doing)

I'm totally behind creating new paint colors and think color-mixing experiments provide us with invaluable knowledge. However, when you are attempting to create a painting, it's important that you have good understanding of the color wheel and what happens when different colors are mixed together.

I mix analogous colors together all the time when painting my middle values, but am very careful when creating my darkest hues because they usually require me to mix very different colors together.

When creating these mixtures, I make sure to prepare them and test them out before actually applying them in my paintings to make sure they are what I'm looking for! You do not want to ruin your work by applying a color that looks like mud.

Something I ALWAYS do is keep a scrap piece of watercolor paper next to me as I paint in order to test colors before actually applying them. By doing this, you can ensure that both your color AND level of transparency are what you actually want at that given point.

8. Clean brushes between colors

In the beginning I took for granted that watercolor pigments were easily removed from paintbrushes and didn't take the time to make sure I had removed the previous color completely before going in with the next.

If you're using the same paintbrush with very different colors, doing some gentle blotting on a rag after having rinsed it can usually help you notice if its clean. You don't want to create muddiness in your paintings that will be impossible to remove. Also, swivel your brushes in your water gently.

9. Replace your water frequently

It's important not to be lazy and replace your water when it starts to get murky because this can affect your colors and/or muddy up your work. Some artists work with several different water cups at the same time, but you'll find whatever works for you personally in time.

I'm guilty of waiting WAY too long before changing my water and there's nothing worse than ruining a great painting with something that could be avoided so easily.

10. Invest in quality over quantity when it comes to paint colors

I recommend doing some research and finding watercolor sets that are good in terms of quality and price. Depending on the subjects you like to paint (landscapes, interior scenery, portraits, food, etc.), you can go for sets that contain colors you will actually be using.

It's preferable to buy smaller sets that offer better quality, than larger ones with poor quality. Look for paint that has a strong color payoff and blends well when mixing.

Two brands that I recommend are Winsor & Newton (their Cotman line is great for beginners) and Sakura Koi Watercolors (good for beginners in terms of both quality and price-this one actually comes with 24 different colors). Here are the Amazon links for both:
Sakura Koi Watercolors Pocket Field Sketch Box
Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolors Sketchers' Pocket Box

Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box and Winsor and Newton Cotman Sketchers' Pocket Box watercolor sets.

Feel free to download both the outline drawing, as well as the reference picture to practice below:

Initial watercolor map showing lighter and darker areas.

Watercolor sketch/map

Click on image to download reference photos.

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Which of these ten things gives you the most trouble? Is there any other aspect of watercolor painting that you find particularly frustrating that didn't make in on the list? I'd love to know! Let's have a discussion in the comments section below!